Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in Plano, Texas
Plano, Texas has laws which govern how individual parcels of land can be used, and how they cannot. These rules aren't always simple, and this article should serve as an introduction to some of the most common issues that homeowners might face, though it is not meant to turn a layperson into an expert.
Municipal governments which practice zoning typically follow a similar scheme: the town or city is divided up into "zones," or areas in which particular types of use are permitted. For example, the downtown area might be zoned for commercial and office use, and perhaps for large, multi-unit apartment buildings. The surrounding areas will typically be zoned for residential and small-scale commercial use, and the outskirts zoned for manufacturing and other heavy industry.
The purpose of zoning is to preserve property values, and make towns and cities more livable. For example, without zoning laws, a company might be able to buy a vacant lot next to your house and build a noisy, smelly, dirty factory on it.
Zoning laws don't exist just to protect residential use - it also protects people who engage in other types of use of land, by making sure that they are able to do their business, without bothering neighboring landowners, and thereby avoiding legal disputes.
What if My Property Violates Plano, Texas's Zoning Laws?
Suppose you find that some condition on your land is in violation of Plano, Texas's zoning laws. In cases like this, you have quite a few options.
It should be clear, however, that the ideal solution is to simply fix any condition on your property which is in violation of a local zoning law. If the violation is not serious, and correcting it won't significantly interfere with your use of your property, this is probably the best course of action.
What if, however, you've invested a significant amount of time and money into making an improvement on your property, only to find that it violates your local zoning laws in some minor way? In this case, you can apply for a variance. This is essentially an exception to the zoning rules. If declining to enforce these rules would not harm anyone, and would not do much to advance the purpose of Plano, Texas's zoning laws, a variance will usually be granted.
You also have significant protections if a zoning law changes, and you find that the land you've been living on for years is suddenly in violation of the new law. In general, zoning laws cannot apply to structures and uses which were built or commenced before the law was changed. Under the U.S. Constitution, it's not permissible for state or local governments to pass laws which have retroactive effect. You should know, however, that any future changes you make to your property will have to comply with the new zoning law.
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How Can a Plano, Texas Attorney Help?
If you suddenly become involved in a zoning dispute with your local government, it's essential to seek competent legal representation. The counsel of an experienced Plano, Texas real estate attorney can make it much easier for you to act within the law to use your own property as you wish, or at least be as free as possible to make improvements to your land.
There are 235 Real Estate, Housing & Property Law cases posted in Plano
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Life in Plano
Plano is a Collin County city that ranks 9th most populous in the State of Texas. Most folks who aren't from Plano still know about the annual Plano Balloon Festival or that it's consistently ranked in the top communities in the United States by Forbes Magazine and CNN Money Magazine. Much of those outstanding rankings have to do with the famous corporations headquartered in Plano. Cinemark Theatres, Dr. Pepper-Snapple Group, J.C. Penny, Pizza Hut, Dell's Computer Services, Frito Lay, Rent-A-Center, and Alliance Data are all located in Plano. The popular social phenomenon Facebook operates a number of servers in their Plano facility, too. The government facilities, as you would assume with such a massive and important community, are quite extensive.Plano was ranked as "The Safest City in America" by Forbes Magazine in 2010 making it even more attractive to tourists and locals. A number of celebrities live in Plano including cyclist Lance Armstrong, professional golfers Fred Couples and Hunter Mahan, actors like Chance Crawford and Kevin McHale who plays "Artie" on primetime hit-series Glee.
A branch of Southern Methodist University (SMU) is located in Plano and enrolls 3,000 graduate students who major in business, education, and technical work like engineering. Plano is home to outstanding schools and companies making it a very desirable community in the United States. Unsurprisingly, there's also an outstanding cast of new and seasoned lawyers who are familiar with local Collin County and Texas State Courts.
